I'm fairly sure that Hunter was working for our intelligence agencies, which allow informants to commit all kinds of crimes so long as they don't lie about "the enemy", whoever that might be. I'd offer Hunter a pardon on the condition that he spills ALL the Beans, not just the beans that directly relate to the crimes he's charged with.
As for appointees, Trump newest ones are an odd assortment to say the least. Only time will tell what Trump's actual foreign policy will look like. Pete Hegseth?? Bizarre choice. Rubio makes sense I guess, but I'm not happy about it.
All in all I think his appointment point to a continuation of his first presidency, in other words he's going to meet the Military Industrial Complex half way and hope he can stay out of any major wars. I'd expect the military budget to go up.
And yep, the Pussy hats have already set a date for their new protests, it's set for the weekend before inauguration. I wonder if they will be as cringe worthy as last time?
Hegseth has more experience than I thought he did and far more than Dick Cheney and is better educated too. Cheney dropped out of Yale, Hegseth graduated from Princeton and Harvard. Cheney was never in the military, Hegseth served 20 years as an officer and has a bronze star and started a charity for vets, wrote books, etc. There have been several Defense heads that only had an inside track to the arms manufacturers on their resume. My problem with Hegseth is that he's a hawk or at least has made very hawkish statements as his role as a fox personality.
I think Hunter could spill the beans and Joe could go with a diminished capacity defense, like he did the last time he was interviewed by the FBI. But will they allow the truth to come out? Very doubtful, so hunter should get sent up the river as a consolation prize.
I think Trump will spend a ton on the military, much of it on updating our nuclear capacity and under the drawdown for Ukraine we have shipped tons of stuff that will be replaced by higher tech, super expensive systems of dubious value. That would be better than endless wars but still a total waste of money. Sadly we could still end up with both wars and tons of extra military spending.
I don't care for Rubio but I think Trump can walk all over him and basically end up with a yes man. I doubt Rubio will have an independent policy, if he tries to he's going to get himself fired. If Rubio acts like a hawk it will be because Trump wanted him to.
My wife never cared about politics in the least until the whole pink hat thing hit, she knits and was on Ravelry (A knitting site) when they decided to ban all things Trump and boosted anyone making those stupid hats. Several of her friends were kicked off of there for making Trump stuff, that moved a number of women out of the democrat camp because it was the first time they had personally seen cancel culture. Suddenly just making something like a US flag, got you labeled a fascist and kicked out. I'm surprised how many women were truly pissed off about that one, I have a few women in my friends list who walked away from democrats over that issue alone. (never know what will tick women off, but apparently that one really did, don't politicize their hobbies I guess.)
Abolish the EPA. Nixon founded that GD department. Trump can say, "Mission Accomplished. We have clean water, air, good food. To save money and help the economy. The EPA is no longer needed or wanted."
This is a bit off subject, but I learned today that Measure 4 in North Dakota was on the ballot in ND on Nov. 5th. Measure 4 would have banned property taxes in the state. The usual suspects were against Measure 4, teachers, public unions, AFL-CIO unions, and bureaucrats in general.
Measure 4 failed to pass 63% to 36%. But it is encouraging that over 1/3 of North Dakota voters voted to end the property tax. The question is, has Leviathan become too large to vote out of existence?
Brian, Are there too many people reliant on Leviathan, people who vote for Leviathan, for the rest of us to vote and make real changes like ending the property tax, income tax, Federal Reserve, fiat money, war(s)? Too many wolves and not enough sheep.
When the question/answer relies on "vote". game over. As long as hackable machines are used to 'count' the results, how can any answer be dependable? But to your point...if a Musk-type would fund a well-structured campaign to 'educate' the masses, it could work. The issues themselves have popular support but the alternatives haven't been sufficiently explained to remove the fear of 'but muh roads!?"
I just finished watching the last episode (8) of "The Penguin" by HBO. It's a great series about gangsters in Gotham City. The Penguin, Oswald Cobb, manipulates everyone to get to the top of the gang world for his mother and himself.
It wasn't until the last episode's conclusion, that I realized Donald J. Trump is The Penguin. Trump is only loyal to his ego and his family. Trump throws everyone else under the bus if it helps his climb to the top e.g. General Flynn, Julian Assange, January 6th protesters.
Other than the terminally Altruistic, at bottom, every individual is for him/her self. Isn't that at the heart of survival? Self-preservation? Self-defense? Purely "Trump is for Trump" eliminates everyone else. If only for himself, why put himself, financial empire and checkbook on the line?
There's also the pragmatic reality of politics, practical priorities and 'the rest of the story' we don't know. Solving any one may have jeopardized several others when Time may have actually been the best choice. Flynn knows/knew the thin ice of politics, Assange is out and the J6 folks will likely be sprung 1/21 or soon after. "Art of the Deal" and all that...
No politician is a saint - only varying degrees between Good and Rotten. Put differently - Good politicians are band-aides on a gaping chest wound; Rotten ones toss toxic waste on it.
With what little time we all have on this rock, I'll reach for the band-aides whenever possible no matter how big/little positive effect they may have. Positive is always better.
Went to share this on facebook and they removed it as Spam, I was apparently trying to mislead people so I could get likes. Their AI is such a twat.
Thanks for the push. FBots not fond of Substack...
I'm fairly sure that Hunter was working for our intelligence agencies, which allow informants to commit all kinds of crimes so long as they don't lie about "the enemy", whoever that might be. I'd offer Hunter a pardon on the condition that he spills ALL the Beans, not just the beans that directly relate to the crimes he's charged with.
As for appointees, Trump newest ones are an odd assortment to say the least. Only time will tell what Trump's actual foreign policy will look like. Pete Hegseth?? Bizarre choice. Rubio makes sense I guess, but I'm not happy about it.
All in all I think his appointment point to a continuation of his first presidency, in other words he's going to meet the Military Industrial Complex half way and hope he can stay out of any major wars. I'd expect the military budget to go up.
And yep, the Pussy hats have already set a date for their new protests, it's set for the weekend before inauguration. I wonder if they will be as cringe worthy as last time?
Can Hunter spill the beans and not hit the Big Guy?
Maybe Hegseth passion will be some compensation for 'experience'...
Tulsi and Candace say Rubio is a chicken hawk, out of line w/Trump's anti-war. Maybe he's changed...
Trump could keep the MIC happy with orders to rebuild/update the hardware after Biden off-loaded so much to Ukraine...
I'm gonna get one of those hats -- save it for next Halloween...
Hegseth has more experience than I thought he did and far more than Dick Cheney and is better educated too. Cheney dropped out of Yale, Hegseth graduated from Princeton and Harvard. Cheney was never in the military, Hegseth served 20 years as an officer and has a bronze star and started a charity for vets, wrote books, etc. There have been several Defense heads that only had an inside track to the arms manufacturers on their resume. My problem with Hegseth is that he's a hawk or at least has made very hawkish statements as his role as a fox personality.
I think Hunter could spill the beans and Joe could go with a diminished capacity defense, like he did the last time he was interviewed by the FBI. But will they allow the truth to come out? Very doubtful, so hunter should get sent up the river as a consolation prize.
I think Trump will spend a ton on the military, much of it on updating our nuclear capacity and under the drawdown for Ukraine we have shipped tons of stuff that will be replaced by higher tech, super expensive systems of dubious value. That would be better than endless wars but still a total waste of money. Sadly we could still end up with both wars and tons of extra military spending.
I don't care for Rubio but I think Trump can walk all over him and basically end up with a yes man. I doubt Rubio will have an independent policy, if he tries to he's going to get himself fired. If Rubio acts like a hawk it will be because Trump wanted him to.
My wife never cared about politics in the least until the whole pink hat thing hit, she knits and was on Ravelry (A knitting site) when they decided to ban all things Trump and boosted anyone making those stupid hats. Several of her friends were kicked off of there for making Trump stuff, that moved a number of women out of the democrat camp because it was the first time they had personally seen cancel culture. Suddenly just making something like a US flag, got you labeled a fascist and kicked out. I'm surprised how many women were truly pissed off about that one, I have a few women in my friends list who walked away from democrats over that issue alone. (never know what will tick women off, but apparently that one really did, don't politicize their hobbies I guess.)
I remember Supreme Court Justice Antonio Scalia saying, "The only think I have in common with Justice Sotomayor is that we both shave in the morning."
Scalia came to a suspicious end. Maybe Sotomayor will as well.
Justice Scalia tried out that line at a dinner with Walter Williams and me. With both of us on the floor, he said it was worth public consumption.
Abolish the EPA. Nixon founded that GD department. Trump can say, "Mission Accomplished. We have clean water, air, good food. To save money and help the economy. The EPA is no longer needed or wanted."
He should. And just like that. No questions.
This is a bit off subject, but I learned today that Measure 4 in North Dakota was on the ballot in ND on Nov. 5th. Measure 4 would have banned property taxes in the state. The usual suspects were against Measure 4, teachers, public unions, AFL-CIO unions, and bureaucrats in general.
Measure 4 failed to pass 63% to 36%. But it is encouraging that over 1/3 of North Dakota voters voted to end the property tax. The question is, has Leviathan become too large to vote out of existence?
"Vote out?" I think not. Vote out after like-minded politicians have been voted in to push the right buttons - why not?
Brian, Are there too many people reliant on Leviathan, people who vote for Leviathan, for the rest of us to vote and make real changes like ending the property tax, income tax, Federal Reserve, fiat money, war(s)? Too many wolves and not enough sheep.
When the question/answer relies on "vote". game over. As long as hackable machines are used to 'count' the results, how can any answer be dependable? But to your point...if a Musk-type would fund a well-structured campaign to 'educate' the masses, it could work. The issues themselves have popular support but the alternatives haven't been sufficiently explained to remove the fear of 'but muh roads!?"
Brian, TIK does a quick video on how the free market will build roads. I'll add the link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPbNFBFQOt8
I just finished watching the last episode (8) of "The Penguin" by HBO. It's a great series about gangsters in Gotham City. The Penguin, Oswald Cobb, manipulates everyone to get to the top of the gang world for his mother and himself.
It wasn't until the last episode's conclusion, that I realized Donald J. Trump is The Penguin. Trump is only loyal to his ego and his family. Trump throws everyone else under the bus if it helps his climb to the top e.g. General Flynn, Julian Assange, January 6th protesters.
Trump is for Trump.
Other than the terminally Altruistic, at bottom, every individual is for him/her self. Isn't that at the heart of survival? Self-preservation? Self-defense? Purely "Trump is for Trump" eliminates everyone else. If only for himself, why put himself, financial empire and checkbook on the line?
There's also the pragmatic reality of politics, practical priorities and 'the rest of the story' we don't know. Solving any one may have jeopardized several others when Time may have actually been the best choice. Flynn knows/knew the thin ice of politics, Assange is out and the J6 folks will likely be sprung 1/21 or soon after. "Art of the Deal" and all that...
No politician is a saint - only varying degrees between Good and Rotten. Put differently - Good politicians are band-aides on a gaping chest wound; Rotten ones toss toxic waste on it.
With what little time we all have on this rock, I'll reach for the band-aides whenever possible no matter how big/little positive effect they may have. Positive is always better.
Brian, Exactly. That is why I'm an anarchist. No rulers over us. You can't win at that game.
Haha! The Republicans should be the ones wearing the Pussy Hats.